UK's coal free day

Statistics from the National Grid show that last week was officially the UK's first ever working day without relying on power from coal since the industrial revolution.

 The UK has relied on coal for power since it began using the fossil fuel and the only remaining plant (West Burton 1) went offline on Thursday 21 April 2017. Nation Grid tweeted the above graphic, highlighting the first period of coal free power since 1880.

This isn't the first time England has been powered coal-free, as during 2016 shorter periods were also successful - the largest of note being 19 hours. Coal's share of the market also dropped to 9%, down from 23% in 2015.

The government and energy industry have been working on making the country coal free as alternative methods of production develop - coal-free days will become more common as these options become more and more viable.

Coal was the main method of powering the UK until the early 1990s, and 2025 will see the forced closure of the last coal power station, as per existing government plans to move away from being reliant on fossil fuels and meet the UK's commitment to renewable energy.

Mainland Europe still hold the best record for using renewable power alone, last May Germany and Portugal had fossil fuel free periods.

Energy prices will continue to fluctuate as we move away from fossil fuels, and the only way to make sure that you are always getting the best price is to keep on top of the market. Not all tariffs have a penalty for switching mid-contract so if a better price comes up it pays to change. The Energy Advice Line handles the switching process for you, making it quick and simple. Find out more at energyadviceline.org.uk

Image courtesy of National Grid Twitter.

Do we still need coal?

A 'historic turning point' has been reached, as declared by green energy supporters.

In the UK, part of our electricity is generated by coal. Last week the amount of electric energy that is created from coal fell to zero late on Monday 9 May, and remained this way until the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The last time this occured was during 1882, when the world's first public coal-fired generator opened in Holborn - according to Carbon Brief, reporters of climate science.

On top of this, our carbon emissions are now the lowest that they have been for at least the past 20 years. This shift in electrical energy generation has helped to cause this reduction, and the demand on electricity supplies in general have remained at a fairly flat level over the past ten years.

But what does this mean for energy prices?

The government have always been aiming to phase out coal generation by 2025 due to it's level of pollution, and with renewables on the up this is beginning to look like an acheivable target. With electricity less dependent on the fossil fuels of the industrial revolution the cost of producing the energy should begin to decline.

With companies looking to keep their profit margins looking healthy it's anyone's guess where the market will go, but the advice remains that looking around for the most competitive prices will continue to be the most effective way of saving money on your energy spend.

The Energy Advice Line is a free and impartial price comparison service, allowing you to compare the most competitive quotes in the UK and always end up with the best price for you. Find out more and get a quote today at energyadviceline.org.uk